1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle designed to carry a fold-up warning triangle which can be removed from the vehicle. The term motor vehicle is here used in particular to signify a vehicle of the passenger car or delivery van type. The vehicle comprises an opening covered by a hatch such as a trunk hatch or engine hood. The hatch is arranged so that it can be moved between a closed position and an open position. The warning triangle is arranged in the vehicle in such a way that it gives a warning to other traffic when the hatch is in its open position.
2. Background Information
It is already known to secure a warning triangle on the inside of the rear hatch of a vehicle in such a way that the warning triangle is visible to following traffic when the rear hatch is open. Such an arrangement is described, for example, in German Patent Nos. DT 1 956 025 and DE 3 627 100. A common feature of these arrangements is that the warning triangle is secured to the inside of the hatch in such a way that its characteristic triangular shape is clearly evident to following traffic when the hatch is open. The advantages of such arrangements are obvious, as a visual warning signal is given to other traffic as soon as the hatch is opened. In addition, access to the warning triangle is made considerably easier since the warning triangle can be easily seized for the purpose of placing it on the road, even when the luggage space is full.
However, the known solutions are best suited to passenger cars of the sedan type which are equipped with a traditional trunk. Such a trunk generally has no transparent surfaces and is instead entirely covered by sheet metal or other surface material. There is therefore no problem in accommodating the whole of the fold-up triangle on the inside of the trunk. However, in vehicles such as station wagons, mini-vans and multi-purpose vehicles (MPV), the rear hatch has relatively large glazed surfaces to which attachment of a fold-up warning triangle is not possible due to visibility and road safety. The remaining, non-transparent part of the hatch often represents a small portion of the total surface area of the hatch and therefore, for reasons of space, does not permit attachment of a fold-up warning triangle. Another difficulty in applying the previously known solutions to a rear hatch of a vehicle of the multi-purpose type is that the hatch, in the open position, seldom has an inner surface substantially at right angles to the road surface on which the vehicle is standing, which is a prerequisite for the aforementioned solutions to be able to work.
The invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a motor vehicle designed to carry a fold-up warning triangle which can be removed from the vehicle. The vehicle has an opening defined by a boundary edge and covered by a hatch such as a trunk or hood. The hatch is arranged so that it can be moved between a closed position and an open position. The warning triangle in a folded-up position is secured in an edge portion of the hatch bearing against the boundary edge of the opening in the closed position of the hatch in such a way that a warning surface of the warning triangle is visible to other traffic when the hatch is in its open position.
In a preferred embodiment, the fold-up warning triangle is releasably fitted in a recess in the edge portion of the hatch. The recess has a wall interrupted by at least one hole through which the warning surface is visible to other traffic when the hatch is in its opened position. The hole is preferably triangle-shaped as a symbolic representation of the shape of the warning triangle in its deployed position.
The proposed solution is considerably more compact than previously known arrangements without losing sight of the main function of providing a warning to other traffic when the hatch is in its open position.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.